How To Spare Your Child From Having Constipation

After successfully toilet training my daughter, I believed we have surpassed the most diffucult hurdle. However, there have been instances when she was truly distressed because she was constipated. Children may react in a different way to constipation, but younger ones are typically frustrated and unhappy. Constipation is typical among young children, and it can stem from different causes.

The normal cause of constipation in kids is their diet. Inadequate fluid intake and too much cow's milk can lead to constipation. Likewise, too much intake of processed foods can also lead to constipation. A kid who is so engrossed in playing may put off a bowel movement, that can also be a reason for constipation. Absence of physical activity and a sudden change in the kid's environment are also culprits. Rarely, constipation is brought about by medical conditions affecting the thyroid gland and the intestines. In order to decrease the chance of constipation, here are some easy recommendations:

1. Make sure that the kid gets sufficient fiber in his diet. Add more fruits, veggies, bran muffins, oatmeal, whole-grain cereals and breads simply because they are great sources of dietary fiber. Fiber is bulky and it can soften stools, thereby preventing constipation.

2. Increase the kid's fluid intake. It is vital that parents provide liquids from time to time, and not depend solely on a kid's requests for water. It is particularly vital to supply more fluids during hot days, or when the child is engaged in a physical activity. It is easy to also offer prune juice simply because it can successfully promote a bowel movement.

3. Set a routine time for bowel movements everyday, preferably after a meal. A child can easily get caught with the activities through the day that he can put off defecating. When this occurs, stool builds up in the lower bowel and may turn out to be bigger and more difficult to pass. Condition the little one to go to sit in the toilet for at least ten minutes, to promote regular bowel habits. Praise your kid for the effort in sitting at the toilet, even if he was unable to defecate.

4. Encourage your child to engage in active play simply because it can increase peristalsis. Lack in activity has been found to bring about constipation, and it is vital that parents help in modifying sedentary practices at home.

5. Be sure that the child is not consuming too much dairy products. Although dairy products are excellent for children, too much of it can also result in constipation. Dairy food sources include milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. A one year old baby usually needs four servings of dairy in a day. This is equivalent to ¾ cup or six ounces of milk, or one ounce of cheese.

Though there are a lot of stool softeners which can easily be bought, it is certainly not smart to use them without the doctor's consent. If a kid is used to having stool softeners often, it may not help in promoting regular bowel habits. Constipation is typical amongst kids, and it takes time to establish regular bowel habits. No matter how frustrating it can be, parents need to be supportive so that a child will not develop negative behavior because of it.